Reports from the study commissioned by Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples triggered a blistering response from Reyes, a 26-year Border Patrol agent and former section chief – before his 1996 election to Congress. Reyes represents El Paso.

Congressman Silvestre Reyes

Reyes’ statement:

“During yesterday’s press conference, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and others released a report that makes outrageous claims to promote reactionary measures, such militarizing the border, that are not grounded on validity and reason. This is yet another example of how Republicans continue to distort the facts and manipulate crime statistics to mischaracterize the border as out-of-control.

“In fact the report cites discredited sources like protectyourtexasborder.com, launched by Staples, that has been criticized for supporting extreme solutions to secure the border — including the use of land mines and tiger traps along the U.S. Mexico border. This report also cites testimony by Rick Perry’s political appointee, Steven McCraw, who argued to the House Homeland Security Committee that El Paso was unsafe because it had a 1,200% percent increase in homicides last year and used this number as an indication of “spillover crime” — all while failing to mention that El Paso had one homicide in the first five months of the 2010.

“These misleading claims, like this report, are nothing more than propaganda aimed at contradicting what crime statistics truly reflect about the Texas border; that it is safe and open for business. Some ideologues will stop at nothing to discredit the President and paint the border as dangerous, when, in fact, cities such as El Paso, McAllen, and Brownsville are safer than most other cities in Texas, including Austin, where Staples and McCraw work.

“These claims are only distracting Texans from the real issues facing our state. Indeed, this is all smoke and mirrors. Republicans control every major statewide office. They have a supermajority in the Texas House and Senate. Instead of creating jobs for the unemployed, providing health care for families, and investing in our education system, they focus on passing bills that suppress minority and elderly voter turnout, and others that tie the hands of local law enforcement agencies reaching out to Latino communities, all to promote Rick Perry’s political agenda.

“What do you do when you can’t govern? You create a crisis to distract the voter. Yes, we do have a crisis. But, it is not on, nor is it the U.S. border. The crisis is the failed Republican leadership in Austin that turns a blind eye to the critical needs of the state and our border communities.”